Coimbatore district moves from red to orange zone

Containment zone restriction lifted in K.K. Pudur

02/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,COIMBATORE

A man scans the QR code to get travel pass at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Friday, during the nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19.M. Periasamy

District Collector K. Rajamani announced on Thursday that the district has moved from red to orange zone, based on “multi-factorial criteria” issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The containment zone restriction has been lifted in K.K. Pudur.

Some of the factors that Mr. Rajamani said might have helped include - the number of current active cases is only seven, the number of persons discharged is 134, there has been no new case in the last eight days, and the number of new cases in the last 21 days was 15. Additionally, he said: “Of the 26 containment zones in the district, two-thirds saw no new case in the last 15 days and the administration had lifted the containment zone restriction in K.K. Pudur 28 days after the discharge of the COVID-19 positive person belonging to the area, from hospital.”

Sources in the district administration added that of the seven active COVID-19 cases, six were at a private hospital and another was at the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital. They would be ready for discharge on Monday.

Though the movement to the orange zone would help the district gain some advantages or relaxation of rules, after the May 2 Cabinet meeting, this was not the time to let down guard, Mr. Rajamani said.

Meanwhile the district administration continued lifting about 300 samples from people at containment zones and peripheries every day. It would continue to monitor the district borders to restrict entry of people from other districts, particularly from places were the number of cases was high.

If it found people showing symptoms of influenza like infection, severe acute respiratory infection or COVID-19, the administration would take them to quarantine facilities it had set up across the district.

Members of the public and industry association have demanded ease of lockdown restrictions to resume commercial or industrial activity.

The district administration had issued orders in a few cases and would continue to do so, keeping in mind the State Government’s guidelines.

The Collector, however, clarified that the district moving into the orange zone would not entail relaxation of the rules in force.

Tiruppur has four patients in hospital

Meanwhile, Tiruppur district has only four patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

A 14-year-old boy from Avinashi and a 55-year-old man were discharged from ESI Hospital on Friday. Out of the 112 confirmed cases in the district, 108 recovered and were discharged as of Friday, Health Department sources said. On Thursday, 15 patients from Tiruppur district were discharged.

On Friday, Tiruppur District Administration declared Avinashi Block as orange zone, following the discharge of the last patient from the Block. On Thursday, Dharapuram Block was declared as orange zone.